Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that February is Heart and Stroke Month in Canada.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death, disability and illness in our country. They claim 75,000 lives each year.

These diseases cost our economy about $17 billion a year in medical care, hospital costs as well as salary and productivity losses.

The staggering total of this disease requires the development of more effective prevention and intervention strategies. A balanced approach is necessary where preventive practices are incorporated early in life and communities are healthier places to live.

I am sure that many of us have been personally affected by cardiovascular diseases and that is why I support and thank the organizations that work towards preventing and controlling these diseases.

Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to remind members of the House and all Canadians that February 1 to 7 marks Eating Disorders Awareness Week. The theme is: Breaking free-Celebrating our sizes.

The National Eating Disorder Centre and support groups across Canada will address a key concern about weight obsession and negative body image particularly among women. The goal this year is to increase awareness of the psycho-social factors which contribute to the development of anorexia, bulimia, or weight preoccupation and those that prevent eating disorders from occurring.

During the week, information through public forums and exhibits will be provided to Canadians to dispel myths and direct them to appropriate resources.

I am delighted that the messages of this week are consistent with the actions of Health Canada to promote a sense of well-being as well as healthy weights. Healthy bodies come in a variety of shapes and sizes and a good weight is a healthy weight, not just a low weight.

I would like to congratulate the National Eating Disorder Centre for its work on raising awareness of this important health matter.

Mr. Speaker and members of the House, I would like to take this opportunity to offer our congratulations to the newly elected mayor of the city of Saint John, Mr. Tom Higgins.

Mayor-elect Higgins brings to this position experience both as a former city councillor and as a deputy mayor. Mr. Higgins is a prominent educator and a dedicated community activist. We all look forward to working very hard with our new mayor who replaces our old friend who has hung up her skates to go to the back benches of the mighty Conservative caucus.

On behalf of the government members from New Brunswick I offer our sincere congratulations. We look forward to working hard for Saint John with this very prominent New Brunswicker, Mr. Higgins.

I also offer congratulations to Mr. Higgins on behalf of the residents of Fundy-Royal.

Mr. Speaker, three residents of Otterburn Park in the federal riding of Chambly will represent Canada at the snow sculpture competition in the arts and culture section of the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, between February 7 and 10.

These three Quebecers, Swavek, Peter and Mike Gorecki, have already represented Canada in several international competitions and many times won the public and the jury prizes for their truly imposing works, often on historic themes.

But the Gorecki brothers are paying their own expenses to go to take part in competitions on behalf of Canada, to promote the art and culture of our country.

On behalf of the federal riding of Chambly and of Canada as a whole, I want to wish the best of luck to the Gorecki brothers who are leaving Quebec tomorrow, Friday, February 4, for Lillehammer. I am confident that once again they will come back from this competition with a trophy.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to put forward a recommendation that will contribute to a more open and improved process of reviewing and determining the future of Canadian forces bases in Canada.

My proposal calls for the establishment of an ad hoc caucus of MPs representing ridings in which CFBs are located for the purpose of determining the future of these bases, whether they be downsized, restructured or closed.

This caucus could be chaired by the minister and report its findings to the government. This caucus could provide the minister with the information and views from each base and its community that he might not otherwise have the benefit of receiving and would be shared and debated openly, resulting in the best analysis and decisions possible.

It is important for the minister and his government to have MPs, regardless of the future of their bases, as allies rather than adversaries.

In short I believe that involving MPs in this decision-making process will result in the best possible outcome for Canadian forces bases in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I have come across unusual evidence that ordinary Canadians no longer support high taxation as a means of limiting the consumption of cigarettes. I refer to the annual report of the Non-Smokers' Rights Association which indicates an 80 per cent decline in membership between 1992 and 1993.

Public support has so faltered for this anti-smoking lobby and its affiliate, the Smoking and Health Action Foundation, that four-fifths of their annual income of some $717,000 comes from direct provincial and federal grants.

This group in urging that high taxes be retained on cigarettes despite the deluge of contraband across our borders is not speaking to the media for a significant number of members nor for the majority of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on his announcement yesterday in the House of the 1994 immigration levels. His announcement is in keeping with the pledge in the red book to maintain an immigration level of approximately 1 per cent of Canada's population.

Immigrants bring a great many riches to our country. They bring new skills and talents, expertise and experience. They enrich our cultural diversity.

As an immigrant to Canada I had the opportunity to pursue a career as an educator and to use my knowledge to the betterment of our community.

By honouring our pledge in the red book the minister affirms that immigrants have a lot to offer. I firmly believe that we need their skills and talents to meet the economic challenges we face as a country in an increasingly global society.

I wish the minister well as he embarks on a broad consultation process on immigration policy. I offer my full support to him to ensure the success of this initiative.

According to the daily newspaper Le Devoir , whose source was a senior member of the RCMP, cigarette smuggling is only the tip of the iceberg. Cigarette smuggling networks have now expanded into jewelry, clothing and alcohol. In the Montreal area alone, over two thirds of cigarette smugglers are also dealing in alcohol.

Is the government aware that its carelessness, laxity and negligence in the fight against cigarette smuggling are causing a growing underground economy to spread dangerously?

Mr. Speaker, I said and I would like to repeat in this House that we are fully aware of this situation. I contacted the provinces because the federal government is not the only government involved in this whole problem of the underground economy. We need an overall plan and everyone's co-operation to deal with it.

I told the House yesterday that I had to engage in further discussions with some of the premiers. I am planning to speak to them early next week. And we have given very clear instructions to the police to take all necessary measures to ensure that all Canadians in all regions of the country obey the law.

Mr. Speaker, if the Government of Ontario persists in its refusal to reduce its own taxes, does the federal government intend to go ahead with its own reduction of federal taxes, given the fact that the Prime Minister said that some time ago?

Mr. Speaker, some days ago the hon. Leader of the Opposition told me that we should proceed because he was convinced the Ontario minister of finance had said in Montreal that he was to proceed. I was not that sure.

Today we apparently have a different version. Yes, the hon. member said himself in this House that after the meeting of the ministers of finance in Montreal the Ontario minister of finance had committed Ontario to cut taxes. That evidently was not the case, if I believe what the hon. Leader of the Opposition is saying today.